The present invention relates to an inverter module which can be attached to and/or withdrawn from a chassis as a unit.
Power conversion systems, such as variable speed, constant frequency (VSCF) power conversion systems, are commonly used in applications wherein the power conversion system is contained on or within a chassis or rack, perhaps along with other components, so that the power conversion system can be installed as a unit. A typical application of such power conversion systems is on aircraft and aerospace vehicles in order to generate AC and DC power from a variable speed prime mover such as a jet engine. In such an application, variable frequency AC power may be produced by a brushless, synchronous generator driven by the jet engine. The variable frequency AC power is converted to DC by an AC/DC converter, such as a rectifier bridge incorporating a smoothing capacity An inverter is coupled to the AC/DC converter in order to transform the DC power into constant frequency AC power. Such AC power is provided to an AC load bus which supplies power to various points throughout the aircraft.
Space on aircraft is normally at a premium. Therefore, the instrumentality which supports the various control functions and provides power to the various loads on aircraft must be compact and easily installable. Quite often, electrical systems such as power conversion systems are packaged within a box which is dimensioned to geometrically fit within a contained space on the aircraft.
Prior packaging arrangements of power conversion systems have several drawbacks. When a component of the power conversion system fails, maintenance crews have the choice of either repairing the power conversion system on site or replacing the entire power conversion system box. Either choice is expensive. Furthermore, prior art power conversion system packages quite often had to provide multiple heat sinks for the various components of the power conversion system. For example, separate heat sinks were provided for the rectifier bridge of the AC/DC converter, for the inverter switches, and for the inverter filter which is often included in the power conversion system to reduce undesired harmonics.